answers to your home roofing questions

25 March 2016

4 Red Flags To Be On The Lookout For With Your Roof

Your home's roof can last for decades if it's properly installed and maintained. Unfortunately, some homeowners don't think about roofing maintenance until they run into an obvious problem, such as a leaking roof that's causing water to drip into the home. Often times, there are multiple red flags that are ignored before a minor roofing problem turns into a major repair. By being aware of these red flags, you can better take care of your roof and avoid the need for premature repairs or replacement.

Soft Spots or Warping

Once a year, you should either be inspecting your own roof or hiring a professional to do this for you. If you choose to inspect your own roof, be on the lookout for spots that feel soft or spongy while you're walking up there. These soft spots could be an indication of wood rot underneath the shingles. Often, soft spots are combined with warping over time, which may or may not be immediately visible from an inspection.

Pooling Water Around Home

Your gutters are an important part of your roofing system, so it's important to watch out for signs of potential problems with your roof's drainage system. A well functioning gutter and downspout system will carry rainwater safely away from your home's foundation, so if you're noticing any water pooling around your home (especially after a heavy rain), you may have clogged gutters or some other problem with your downspouts that needs resolved.

Visible Light in Attic

Part of your annual roof inspection should involve taking a peek inside your home's attic space to see how things are looking from the inside. If you see any visible daylight coming in through your attic (other than that from a window or soffit vent), this should be seen as a red flag. Specifically, you could have deterioration of your roofing that may let water (or unwanted critters) into your attic space.

Appearance of Dark Spots

Finally, be on the lookout for any dark spots that appear on your roof and don't go away. These could be indications of pooling water, which could eventually lead to roof leaks, rotting, and warping of your roof. Depending on the style of your roof, dark spots could be visible from your yard, or you may need to get up on a ladder to look for them (this will likely be the case if you have a flat roof or a roof with little pitch).

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Roofing a home can be a big investment. With a big investment such as this, it is important that you learn as much as you can about roofing. It is possible to roof over the existing material? Can you reduce the cost of the project by doing some of the work yourself? What materials should be used? Is one roofer better than the other for a certain type of roofing job? These questions and many more will be answered on my site. Take your time and learn everything you can about having your roofing replaced so that you can get the best deal on the best roofing job.